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Rep. Jang Kyung-tae of the Democratic Party appears deep in thought during a briefing on judicial administration reform held at the National Assembly on December 2. / Photo by Lee Byunghwa

A sexual assault allegation that led People Power Party (PPP) spokesperson Son Beom-gyu to resign has shifted public attention to a similar accusation involving Democratic Party lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae. Although both parties are grappling with misconduct claims, their sharply contrasting responses have drawn political scrutiny, with the Democratic Party facing pressure over what critics view as a protective stance toward Jang.

According to political sources on December 8, Son stepped down on December 7 after being accused of forcibly groping a municipal council member from his own party. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk accepted his resignation immediately and ordered the party’s audit committee to investigate the allegations.

The complaint against Son was filed by a district councilor identified as A, who alleged that Son forcibly touched her during a dinner gathering in February 2023. She has also submitted a petition to the party’s central ethics committee.

The Democratic Party is wrestling with its own controversy as allegations against Rep. Jang continue to spread. Jang has firmly denied the claims, calling them “groundless” and “a political smear.” The party leadership has stated that action will be taken after an internal ethics inspection—effectively leaving the matter untouched for more than ten days since the allegation first surfaced.

Observers expect growing political attacks over the contrasting responses, noting that Son resigned immediately whereas Jang has remained in office while disputing the accusations. On social media, Jang wrote on December 7: “I used to think advice like ‘choose who you meet carefully’ or ‘go only to meaningful gatherings’ was outdated. Now I realize it may become a trauma.”

PPP spokesperson Cho Yong-sul criticized Jang’s remarks as inappropriate, saying, “It is difficult to view such behavior as fitting for someone at the center of these allegations. There is clear video evidence, message records, and detailed witness testimony. Where does this level of brazenness come from?”

The PPP on Monday formally referred Jang to the National Assembly’s Special Ethics Committee. Rep. Seo Myung-ok said, “It has been 14 days since the allegation surfaced and ten days since an ethics review began, yet nothing has been disclosed. Some Democratic lawmakers are even defending him, contributing to secondary harm.” She added that the public is waiting for swift findings from both the ethics probe and the police investigation.